Journal article

Changes in Australian Early-Career General Practitioners’ Benzodiazepine Prescribing: a Longitudinal Analysis

P Magin, A Tapley, AJ Dunlop, A Davey, M van Driel, E Holliday, S Morgan, K Henderson, J Ball, N Catzikiris, K Mulquiney, N Spike, R Kerr, S Holliday

Journal of General Internal Medicine | SPRINGER | Published : 2018

Abstract

Background: Australian and international guidelines recommend benzodiazepines and related drugs (hereafter “benzodiazepines”) as second-line, short-term medications only. Most benzodiazepines are prescribed by general practitioners (GPs; family physicians). Australian GP registrars (“trainees” or “residents” participating in a post-hospital training, apprenticeship-like, practice-based vocational training program), like senior GPs, prescribe benzodiazepines at high rates. Education within a training program, and experience in general practice, would be expected to reduce benzodiazepine prescribing. Objective: To establish if registrars’ prescribing of benzodiazepines decreases with time with..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Grants

Funding Acknowledgements

During the data collection period included in this study, funding of the ReCEnT study was by the participating educational organizations: General Practice Training Valley to Coast, the Victorian Metropolitan Alliance, General Practice Training Tasmania, Tropical Medical Training, and Adelaide to Outback GP Training Program. These organizations were funded by the Australian Department of Health. Since 2016, the ReCEnT study is funded by an Australian Commonwealth Department of Health Research Grant and supported by GP Synergy, the general practice Regional Training Organization for New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. GP Synergy is funded by the Australian Department of Health.